Tuesday, January 16, 2007

The Rangers have offered Sammy Sosa a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, a source told ESPNdeportes. According to Jerry Crasnick, the language of the deal, supposedly loaded with incentives, is being finalized. The interest in bringing the former Ranger back to Arlington appears to be mutual. "This is about giving a second chance to a guy who did a lot for the game, and who wants an opportunity to prove he can contribute. We're not setting expectations, and he's not asking for anything other than a chance to compete." said Rangers GM Jon Daniels. Sosa has hit 588 career home runs but only hit 14 home runs with a .221 average in 2005 with the Orioles.

Sammy was a huge figure in baseball, everyone loved him. Then steroids started to haunt his career and suddenly he is a "difficult" person to deal with? I for one am pulling for him and hopes he can restore his image with a good year. It just seems the Cubs had so much promise in 2004 after their great 2003 but he was "The Bad Guy" when they couldn't make the playoffs.

"The Bad Guy because they couldn't make the playoffs"??? What are you? Sosa's PR guy?

Sammy Sosa walked out on the team, his teammates, and his coaches on the last day of the season in 2004. That is why he has left such a sour taste in the mouth of Cubs fans. There is nothing worse a player can do in sports then walk out on his team and the players on that team. I don't care whether it is steroids, or making errors, or taking out another player... you do NOT walk out and quit on your team. Especially when that player is considered the leader of the team and captain.

I am not a fan of the Cubs, but I do have WGN and watched alot of games that year. I also seen ESPN and saw interviews with Dusty and crew and it just seemed to me looking in that alot of people were voicing blame on Sosa for not making the playoffs that year. They lost Saturday that year and was out of the race officially but that year Prior and Wood again missed alot of time and I mean alot of time and quite frankly they just didn't have as good of a team as they did the year before. Sosa missed some time himself only playing 126 games but he still hit 35 HR's and drove in 80 RBI's. It wasn't all his fault and yet it seemed that Dusty soured on him even before that incident that last game of the year. We'd see on sports shows where they were putting blame on Sammy, this was a guy just a year removed never ever left the ballfield without a smile on his face. Then after one incident we are led to believe he was a difficult person to d4eal with? I don't buy it. Now the steroid thing loomed him and other players because MLB had to blame that one someone. Again I personally hope the guy can come back, I am not sure if he can but it would be a nice baseball story to see him come back and produce after all the grief that he has had to endure, some of it is deserved but some of it is not.